Ralph Faudree, U of M's provost, said the three reasons students drop out are money, grades and acceptance.

"You try to take race out of it," Faudree said of the graduation rates. "We have parts of western Tennessee where only 8 percent of people in the county have bachelor's degrees, regardless of race."

Faudree said part of the problem, as well, is tempering expectations: "If you got a C-plus in introductory anatomy and physiology, for example, that's a dead ringer for changing your major. You know, no, you're not going to be a doctor or even a nurse. Figure something else out."

Asked about the lower rates for black male students in particular, Faudree defended his campus. "Look, we may not have many black students, but it's better than at some place like UT-Knoxville," he said, "where you can't even find a barbershop that meets your needs."

UT's six-year graduation rate for white students, according to the U.S. Department of Education for the class of 2008 (the most recent year published by the department), is 60.2 percent; for black students: 58.4 percent. U of M's six-year graduation rates are 41 percent for white students, 29.7 for black students.